Emily Blunt and Dick Van Dyke Seriously Differed About Mary Poppins 2

Emily Blunt is ready to turn on the magic again in another Mary Poppins movie. (Photo: Bang ShowBiz)

Emily Blunt is so enthusiastic about her role as Mary Poppins, she would jump at the chance to do yet another picture. But Dick Van Dyke, who starred in the original, had “some misgivings” about doing a sequel.

Van Dyke, 93, is the only actor to appear in both the sequel and the original, 1965 motion picture as Bert the chimney sweep.

Emily Blunt took over the Mary Poppins role from Andrews and Dick has since come around.

“This is an homage to Walt and the original movie. I was so impressed that their heart was in the right place. They wanted to pay respect to the original. And I was so tickled when they asked me, because it was kind of like bookends for me,” he said.

The veteran actor was “surprised” at how well he got to grips with his song-and-dance number in the new movie and he had a great time shooting the scene.

“The minute I heard I was going to do a little number, that sold me,” he told People. “And I thought I could contribute by just being a little bit of a reminder of the original. And I think it turned out well.”

Van Dyke says the role is one of his most beloved. “I would imagine it would be the thing I would be remembered for,” he said.

“I get a lot of mail today from kids who have just discovered ‘Mary Poppins.’ So it’s on its third generation and holding up very well. I’m sure that if I’m remembered for anything it’ll be ‘Mary Poppins.'”

Emily Blunt would love to do a sequel to ‘Mary Poppins Returns.’

The 35-year-old actress has admitted she would jump at the chance to reprise the role of the “bizarre” and “magical” nanny again.

Asked if she would like to take on the iconic part again, she told CBS’s “Sunday Morning” show: “Yes! I would! I want to be her again. I like being her.

“She’s completely bizarre and unknowable,” she said.

P. L. Travers penned the book series that inspired the 1964 original movie,

“What I love about her is really what Travers said about her: ‘In order to fly, you need something solid to take off from.’ And I love that about her. Practical, yet magical.”

“I was so excited Emily was playing the role because she is perfect for it,” the 38-year-old actor told BANG Showbiz:

Marshall’s approach the new film was to develop a story around Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw). The young father was struggling to bring up his three children following the death of his wife. He needed Mary to return to work her magic.

Speaking about the plot, he said: “For the kids (Michael and Jane, played by Emily Mortimer), things have also changed.

“They’ve almost become the adults now and their childhood is escaping them. So I thought, ‘Okay, there is a reason.’

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Keith Girard is Editor and Publisher of TheImproper, New York City’s cutting edge arts, entertainment pop culture and lifestyle Web magazine. Before that, he was editor-in-chief of Billboard magazine and a reporter for the Washington Post among other media positions.